Playing with Fire
by Twisted Wonderland
Summary: Despite all the rain, Jonathan quickly realized that he was far closer to catching fire. Crane x OC!Alice.


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Jonathan Crane. Or anything else in the DC universe, for that matter. I can't even draw good enough to get a job there, let alone actually have my name on anything.

**Author's Note**: The scene you're about to read is definitely in the top five of my favorite Jonathan x Alice scenes. XD; It really is a sweet scene, and I'm a hopeless romantic. Not to mention you get to see Alice being nice and fiery here, which is always fantastic, and poor Jon is so befuddled… Well, I'll just let you read it, hm?

Also, everyone who knows her should go harass Mary. She's supposed to be writing the next two scenes for Fire and Ice, and it can't get updated until she does them! In the mean time, you, dear reader, have to put up with these silly one shots! D: I swear, everyone will have to come back and reread these once F&I is complete. Because these things are loaded with secret meanings.

Edit: Forgot to mention this – yes, Alice knows Jervis Tetch as well. Sort of impossible for Jonny to be involved with a woman named Alice and Hatter not know about her, hm? They've become good friends – and Jervis has a little crush on Alice. It makes Jonathan jealous. I'm going to write their tea party scene eventually, I swear it…

Also, I'm very self-conscious about uploading this one. Because, while Mary and I love Jon x Alice very much, I'm so terrified of flamers who might attack our babies. .____. So if you like this pairing, please review and tell me so. TO SPARE POOR TODD.

-x-

He guided her onto the rooftop with a feather-light touch, steering her into the doorway. His hands lifted to remove the blindfold; although there was no doubt that she could've guessed their location. Mostly thanks to the pinpricks of water that were touching their faces now. It was _raining_. How irritating was that? Jonathan grimaced, upset that his surprise had been ruined, but she seemed far from upset. Her eyes flashed to his with delight, and she abruptly grabbed his hand and pulled him into the pouring open.

The started expression flashed across his face only momentarily, before he resigned to dealing with the water that had already soaked his clothing and blurred his vision through the glasses on his face. He was hardly going to complain, worried of upsetting Alice again – after all, that was the very reason they were here now, wasn't it? Jonathan Crane was a rather blunt person, because he was unaccustomed to expressing any type of emotion. And although he'd never admit to being jealous of the Hatter, it was no secret that he was averse to the time she spent around him. And he'd actually said such a thing – resulting in her being angry with him. He was mending broken bridges.

Alice, it would seem, was far from being frustrated with him. The wide-eyed look on her face gave him a sense of satisfaction; she seemed genuinely pleased that he had remembered their sanctuary from all those months ago. Suddenly she turned to look at him and snuggled close against his chest. Once upon a time, such a movement would've made him stiffen uncomfortable, but he was well-adjusted to her random acts of affection by now. Jonathan merely responded in kind, circling his arms around her.

"It's beautiful, Jon." She informed him shyly, smiling.

There was a moment's silence, when all that was heard was the pattering of rain. Jonathan took a little breath, and broke into the monotony. "Alice… I'm sorry." The words were grudgingly mumbled, but the embarrassed expression on his face was just as priceless. "I should've respected your friendship with Jervis. I just…" He grimaced, trying to find the right words. She chose this moment to smile up at him, and he knew he was forgiven. But before she could say anything, something happened to change the situation.

Thunder rumbled low on the horizon.

Jonathan wasn't fazed. True, he had his own phobias, like the next person, but storms weren't one of them.

They were, however, one of Alice's, it would seem. She let out a strangled gasp and tightened herself against him, panic flashing in her eyes. "Jonathan. Jon, we have to go inside. We have to go inside right now." There was a sudden flash of lightning, and the fluster completely overtook her – instead of clinging closer, she tried to dart away. It was a reflex only to reach out and snag her by the wrists. "No – Jon, let me go, we have to get inside."

He frowned at her. It had been quite some time since he'd seen her so frantic – that last incident would've had to been when she was accidentally sprayed by his toxin. That memory was an unpleasant one, though, and only served to further his severe expression. "Alice!" The doctor issued, his voice soothing. "Alice, calm down. It's just noise. Just light." While it was interesting to learn of her fear of storms, he didn't like seeing her so vulnerable. It didn't match up with the image of her he held in his mind.

She squeaked as his arms held her in the rain and gave a rapid shake of her head, black curls slicked by the water. "No, no, no. Loud noise, killer light. Lightning kills people. People die in storms." Alice continued to pull against his hold, brown eyes wide and frantic.

His arms urged her hands together, side by side, and he pulled them to his chest, forcing her to look in his eyes. "Listen to me, Alice. More people die in cooking fires every year than people struck by lightning. You still allow me in the kitchen, don't you?"

That brought a reluctant smile to her face, and she abruptly switched gears, tucking close against him again. "But, Jon… We really should go inside." Her words were little whimpers against his chest. He lifted a hand away from her wrists to brush it against her face, letting his eyes meet hers.

"You're going to be fine. I promise."

Those words were enough to make her body relax and sink against the bony structure of his chest. The rain continued to fall, and the thunder rumbled around them ominously, but she didn't so much as flinch away. Another minute or two passed with them just standing there, clothing thoroughly soaked. It was reasonably warm in Gotham today, but he knew that, soon, they should head inside, lest one of them get sick.

As if those thoughts prompted her, she suddenly lifted her eyes to gaze up at him. "I love you, Jonathan."

Silence. At that moment, he wasn't really thinking of how she might interpret that. He was torn somewhere between shock and amazement. Those three little words had never before been spoken between them, despite all the months they'd been at each other's side. It was always a 'need'. Because that was true. They needed each other more than anything else, he to keep her grounded, she to keep him sane. And even though they'd both shared tender moments (far more tender than he'd ever allow any one else to see of him) and flustered situations, they'd never ventured towards those words. Not once. But… It wasn't difficult for him to respond in kind. "I love you too, Alice." The words were solemn with his atypical serious approach to anything emotional.

He'd been so caught up in his own surprise that he hadn't noticed the unnerved expression that had gradually floated onto the woman's face. He did, however, notice the way her eyes darkened at her words, and the disgruntled look that overcame her as she turned her head away. "You don't have to say it if you don't mean it."

Instantly he stiffened. She should know that he wasn't the type of man to just throw words around meaninglessly. Jonathan Crane didn't say anything unless it was something of consequence. "And what does that mean? I meant what I said, Alice." His eyes grew cold, and he stepped back from her. What if she was just toying with him? It wouldn't be the first time that someone had messed with his emotions. "Maybe the question is, do you?"

And then she did the last thing he'd expected. Her eyes blazed, and she took a step closer to him, a furious look on her face. It looked as if words failed her for a moment, her expression enraged. For a second he resisted the urge to laugh; she looked like a kitten who had been brushed the wrong way. But Jonathan was grateful he hadn't done such a thing, because suddenly she was shouting at him.

"Of course I love you. How… How DARE you even think I didn't." If she'd been frantic at the sound of thunder moments ago, she was livid now. He had to resist a very strong urge to flinch away from her, even though he knew she wouldn't hurt him. It had been a very long time since he'd been berated like that. But she didn't stop there. Her hands suddenly came up to roughly shove him, and he was surprised enough that he actually went tumbling backwards, catching the sides of the doorframe from which they'd earlier exited. "Jonathan Crane, you are my _life_. I've given up everything, _everything_, to be here with you. To think that you'd even think anything different-" She took a deep, shuddering breath, and he realized abruptly that she was on the verge of tears. "-I just can't believe you'd even… You guarded, arrogant, pompous, cold, insensitive jerk."

Ahh, and now she _was_ crying. Her tirade continued, but he'd already started moving. His hands loosed the wood of the entrance and snaked up to capture her face, and he abruptly pulled her towards him and covered her lips with his own, effectively silencing any of her complaints. For a moment she was unyielding to him, clearly still angry, but she finally let out a frustrated little noise and relaxed. The kiss was demanding and hard, and they were both a little out of breath when Jonathan finally pulled away to lean his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry." Two apologies in one evening, he was really on a roll here. "But you have to understand, Alice. I'm… I'm not used to this. Any of this. Being so close to someone." There was an awkward pause. "Being… In love. It's not a normal emotion for me." He grimaced and drew back to look at her. "But I promise that I meant what I said. And… It still surprises me that you chose me, I suppose." His hand slid against her hair, against the curls that were still dripping, despite that they were now shielded from the downpour. "I suppose I'm just astoundingly lucky."

Her eyes had warmed considerably, and she let out a contented noise, turning her head so that it nuzzled against his open palm. That was when Jonathan knew this battle was one – and what an odd thing to think, that this had been a battle. Even in hindsight, he was still a little blown away by her explosion at him. She chose that moment to look at him again, as if reading his thoughts. "Can we go inside now?"


End file.
